#24: Rep. Kim Williams (D-19th RD)
The District: This was former Speaker Bob Gilligan‘s district practically forever. Put it this way: Bob was in Dover when I arrived, in Dover when I left. And that was before serving two terms as Speaker. Uh, him, not me. A classic working-class district that has fallen onto pretty hard times due to the loss of auto jobs at Boxwood. Kirkwood Highway runs east-west through the district from Newport to Stanton. Here’s the map (PDF). Huge registration edge to the D’s: 7615 D; 3599 R; and 4331 I. Yep, more I’s than R’s. These are dyed-in-the-wool Joe Biden D’s. Lotsa blue-collar workers, displaced blue-collar workers, retired blue-collar workers, and their families. In other words, not Jack Markell D’s.
Kim Williams is among three newcomers who have displayed extraordinary promise during the 2013 legislative session. Consider the number 24 as merely a placeholder as it reflects her lack of time in Dover. She’s moving higher. Not only does she have the right profile for a citizen-legislator, she has demonstrated that conscience and effectiveness are not mutually exclusive.
Williams was elected as Gilligan’s successor in 2012. She edged Bill Dunn in the D primary, 692-585, and handily dispatched R Dennis Cini, 5895-3101, in the general. Bill Dunn had originally targeted the race for County Council President, but switched to this one once Gilligan retired.
Kim Williams and her family have experienced the stark economic realities of Delaware’s economy first-hand. Her husband Carl worked at the GM Boxwood plant for 29 years before the facility shut down. Kim worked her way up to an office manager position with a union electrical contractor. She resigned to stay at home with her children when Carl’s hours changed at the plant. As a stay-at-home mom, Williams threw herself into volunteering at her kids’ schools. Did I say, ‘threw herself into volunteering’?:
Being a stay-at-home mom gave me the opportunity to be involved in my children’s school from day one. I began helping in the classroom and regularly attended PTA meetings. I quickly learned what an important role parental support plays in the schools and have been active in my children’s schools ever since. I started out serving as PTA Treasurer, volunteered weekly for the HOST reading program; I eventually was elected PTA President four times serving four-one year terms at Forest Oak Elementary School. My daughter Casey entered Conrad Schools of Science for 6th grade where I was elected Vice President of the PTO. I have served on Conrad’s Building Leadership Team for the last 5 years. I have served on many committees throughout the years: Program Assemblies, Teacher Appreciation, Family Nights, Fundraiser, and Membership, in which I was recognized by the State PTA. I was a co-leader of my daughter’s Brownie Troop and then became a leader of her Girl Scout Troop.
I was co-editor of a blog Fix Red Clay, which focused on issues concerning Red Clay School District. It provided the community with a place to share their opinions and concerns about the Red Clay School District and gave me a valuable insight into how the public really felt about our school system and our district.
Which led to Kim taking an active role on the Red Clay School Board. She wrote this prior to being elected State Representative:
In 2009, I was asked to run for District E school board seat against a sitting board member and I won. I have served on the board for three years; serving one year as vice president. I currently serve on the following board committees: Board Policy Committee, Community Financial Committee, and Communications Committee. I still serve on the Building Leadership Committee at Conrad Schools of Science. In 2009, I approached the principal of Conrad about running a fundraiser specifically for the student’s class accounts to help raise money for the students. The funds raised are set aside in the account of each class to off-set costs of field trips, homecoming, proms etc.
I honestly can’t think of anyone whose background better suits them to be a citizen-legislator than Kim Williams. She has placed her conscience and her priorities right up front during her first year. She called out the secret non-public deliberations on the charter schools clusterbleep. She successfully sponsored legislation to cut red tape out of the public school choice process, making the process much easier for students and parents. It was the only bill she sponsored. And it was damned important. There’s a lot to be said for knowing your strengths and concentrating on them. Other legislators would do well to take heed. She was also a prime co-sponsor on SB 147, which requires that charter schools ‘include innovation information in their annual reports and that the Secretary of Education report on how successes at charter schools can be implemented throughout Delaware’s public education system. It further establishes a “Committee for Promoting Charter-District Collaboration” to consider the current state of collaboration between public charter schools and traditional public schools and to develop recommendations for strengthening such collaboration.’
She has also been a stalwart when it comes to supporting equal rights for everybody, both on marriage equality and gender identity. And she co-sponsored legislation requiring criminal background checks on private gun purchases.
The only criticism I’ve heard about her is that some legislators believe that she is too unwilling to compromise on her principles. As you can imagine, that’s hardly a minus in my book.
I’ve never met her, but I really like her. Spoiler Alert: She’ll finish much higher on my 2013 MVP (most valuable to the progressive cause) list than this one. For now, the only impediment to her placing higher here is simply lack of time in Dover. We’ve got your back, Kim.
#38. Rep. W. Charles ‘Trey’ Paradee (D-29th RD)
The District: The 29th RD runs north/south, and encompasses the town of Cheswold, parts of Clayton and Smyrna, and areas west of Dover and Wyoming. Here is the map (PDF). Registration for this Kent County district is as follows: 6462 D; 4691 R; and 3597 I. Redistricting took away much of the area that had provided the margin for Paradee’s predecessor, Lincoln Willis, including the auto dealership which carries the Willis family name. A very well-engineered redrawing of the lines. The district’s demographics have changed, with suburban communities overriding some of the previously more rural character of the district. In other words, while there may be more roadkill now, there are fewer people eating it.
Trey Paradee both won…and lost a 2008 challenge to long-term incumbent Pam Thornburg. The initial count showed Paradee winning, but it turns out that someone (who may or may not have feasted on roadkill) accidentally transposed some numbers, and Paradee came 50 votes shy of victory. Thornburg had basically retired, but hadn’t told anybody, while engaged in a long-term relationship with a powerful lobbyist who resides far outside of her district. She phoned and congratulated Paradee, and probably felt just a tinge of disappointment when she found out that she had won. Paradee passed on a 2010 run due to family challenges, but surprised a lot of people in taking out one of the R’s few touted ‘faces of tomorrow’, Linc Willis, by a 5183-4358 margin in 2012. While not a landslide, that’s a solid margin against a credible incumbent.
Trey Paradee has been the single greatest disappointment to progressives among the 2012 newcomers. Despite expressing support for equal rights for same sex couples back in 2008, Paradee voted against marriage equality. He largely opposed most gun control measures. He did, however, vote to release the minimum wage bill from the House Business Lapdog Committee, which is indeed encouraging. (This is a correction that clarifies his position on minimum wage.)
Now, while he technically did not ‘go back on his word’ on gay marriage (the initial comments dealing with civil unions), he diligently ‘worked the refs’ to create at least a sense of good will from progressives, including me. He convinced me that this district was not the stereotypical Kent County district of 20 years ago, and then voted as if it was. Fool me once…
When you look at Paradee’s bio, coupled with his first year in Dover, you have to wonder whether he has any progressive principles, or principles of any kind. This, in fact, may well be the main reason that Paradee ran for office:
Trey’s family first settled in Delaware in the mid-1600s, and he is the 7th member of the Paradee family to serve in the Delaware General Assembly.
And this doesn’t scream progressive, (or for that matter, my definition of Democrat, to me):
In 2001, Trey was recruited by Merrill Lynch to work as a financial advisor. In 2003, Trey joined Edward Jones Investments and opened an investment and financial planning office in downtown Dover. In 2011, Trey opened his own investment and financial planning firm, Paradee Financial, LLC, which is also located in Dover. Trey’s firm provides investment and financial services for individuals and small businesses and helps families invest for college and retirement. Trey currently serves as a Special Trustee on the Delaware Technical and Community College Educational Foundation Investment Advisory Committee and Development Council.
So, this guy is firmly ensconced representing the financial industry interests on the House Business Lapdog Committee, and he’s part of the Lonnie George/Mark Brainard Del-Tech money grab.
Paradee has sponsored one good bill of note, HB 148, which would ‘direct the Office of the State Treasurer to add a Roth option to state sponsored 403(b) and 457(b) savings plans that are offered to eligible teachers and state employees.’ And, yes, I’m enjoying the Battle of the Egos going on between Paradee and Flowers. I’m rooting for ‘neither’ to emerge victorious.
Here’s the deal. It was Paradee who argued that his district was far more sophisticated and receptive to social progress than had been thought. And he was right. Barack Obama won this Kent County district, 5282-4613. There was no chance in hell that Obama would have even come close in that district 20 years ago. Yet, Paradee has voted as if his district hasn’t changed in 20 years.
Here’s one thing about working the refs. You can make it work once, then you have your record, which defines you better than you can define yourself.
Paradee looks to be taking the non-Democratic Democratic route. He can strive to either distinguish himself in the Delaware General Assembly, or he can be satisfied with fulfilling the family legacy. I hope for the former, but I’m betting on the latter. Although that minimum wage bill gives us some reason to hope…